Blast furnace charging hopper



Dept. i1, 1934. w. s. UNGER BLAST FURNACE CHARGING HOPPER Filed Dec. 27, 1932 Patented Sept. 11, 1934 I 1,973,451

umrasrATa PATENT OFFICE imam BLAST FURNACE cnanome HDPPER,

William s. Unger, Munhall, rs. Application December 27, 1932, Serial No. 649,il88 2 Claims. (01. 219-19) This invention relates to improvements in by a suitable wiring system, but as such forms blast furnace charging hoppers, and has for one no part of the invention. of its objects the provision of a novel construc- A switch A, for initiating the operation of the tion enabling the hopper to be quickly and evenly heaters, is located in the customary stock house heated, and-thus obviate the usual freezing of adjacent the bottom of the blast furnace. N materials at this point in extremely cold A magnetic switch, or contactor, B is arranged weather. a in proximity to the heaters a andinparallel Another object is to provide a structure which with the circuit thereto. The contactor B is will be cheap and easy-to install, readily accesenergized by the switch A in the stock house sible, and one'which will-require but little attenthrough a separate circuit. A safety light C is tion and expenditure to maintain; arranged in series with the circuit to the heaters These and further objects 0! the invention 4 and located adjacent the switch A for indica will be apparent after referring to the drawing, ing their operation.

in which: A manually operated switch D is located near Figured is a sectional elevation of the apthe heaters to open the circuit from that pcsi W paratus of the invention. tion such a necessity arises.

"Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan of the il'iVQi'i- While I have shown and described one specific tion.

embodiment of my invention it will be under Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line stood that I do not wish to be limited exactly III-III of Figure 1. thereto, since various modifications may be made W 9 Referring more particularly to the drawing, without departing from the scope of my inventhe numeral 2 indicates the charging stack of a tion, as defined in the following claims. conventional blast furnace. The stack .2 is pro- I claim: I vided with a metallic charging hopper 3 hav- 1. In ablast iurhacethe combination of a ing a number of outwardly extending integral charging hopper, compartments being defined by ribs 3 on its outer surface. The outwardly exintegral ribs on the outer side of said hopper, tending integral ribs 3 form a plurality of comelectrical heating elements disposed in said compartments, in each of which there vis disposed partrnents; and removable means for covering a conventional electric space heater 4. The said compartments. heaters 4 comprise a series of resistance strips 2. In combination with a material handling 4 which are connected together in parallel by hopper, compartments being defined by integral 8 means of the terminals 4 Suitable insulation ribs on the-outer sides of said hopper, electrical is provided for each of the strips fi heating elements disposed in saidcompartme'nts, Each compartment is provided with heat and heat insulating media for said heating elements, electrical insulation 5, such as asbestos. A reand removable means for covering said commovable plate 6, having handles 6 covers all of partinents. 90 the elements in each of the compartments. WELIAM S. UNGER.

Electric current is supplied to I 

